Wood Awards shortlist drawn from record entries

The 30-strong shortlist for this year’s Wood Awards was unveiled at Carpenters’ Hall in London on June 14.

This year’s competition attracted a record number of entries – 348, encompassing 283 different projects – fully justifying the organisers’ decision to waive the entry fee this year to ensure “every type and size of project in construction, furniture and joinery” was represented.

Among the shortlisted projects is The Apex, a concert venue in Bury St Edmunds designed by Hopkins Architects and featured in TTJ sister title Timber & Sustainable Building (Summer 2011), in the Structural category; the Olympic Velodrome (also Hopkins Architects) in the Commercial and Public Access category; and Nailsea Tithe Barn, designed by Architecton, in the Conservation/Restoration category.

The Private/Best Small Project category shortlist included Emmanuel College Library, by Kilburn Nightingale Architects while the Furniture category – which attracted more than 80 entries – included the Woodland Trust HQ reception desk by Benchmark.

Chief judge Michael Morrison of Purcell Miller Tritton said the standard this year was “terrific” and the shortlisting process had involved “some fairly fierce arguing”.

Adding that the judges were “enthused” by the quality of the entries, Mr Morrison said that this represented “a significant step up” for the Wood Awards which are going from strength to strength.

David Venables, European director of The American Hardwood Export Council, a long-term supporter of the Wood Awards, said that 2011 had to be the best year yet for the quality and quantity of entrants.

“The Wood Awards has a unique ability to showcase the multiple benefits of using wood across a wide range of applications and this year the entrants have really responded to the energy and dynamism of the Awards.”

Other sponsors include the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, The Forestry Commission, TRADA, Wood for Good, American Softwoods, the British Woodworking Federation; the Malaysian Timber Council, Canada Wood, Ontario Wood and the Québec Wood Export Bureau.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on September 27 at the Timber Expo at the Ricoh Centre in Coventry.

Highlights from the shortlist will be published in the July 9/16 issue of TTJ.